Toilet



s- 1947- w. P. MILLER ETA 2,426,230

TOILET Filed Aug. 30, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTgRS WILLIAM H .MIL E'E 1 MIE'HAE'L' A. DAT/FALLS l vrasrz. E. DICKENS ATTORNEY I Aug. 26, 1947.

w. P. MILLER E'r'AL 2,426,230

TOILET Fi led Aug. so, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 I NTORS WILLIAM B ILLE'H MICHAEL .A- 'DAVALLE BY VIHG'IL E- DICKENS ATTORNEY I Patented Aug. 26, 1947 TOILET William P. Miller, Oakland, Michael A. Davalle,

San Leandro, Calif.

and Virgil E. Dickens, Alameda,

Application August 30, 1945, Serial No. 613,691

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

3 Claims.

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) This invention relates to toilets and particularly to aircraft toilets.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved toilet primarily adapted for use in aircraft and so constructed as to be flushed by ha ing a blast of air directed thereinto.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved toilet having a flushing arrangement adapted to be operable only upon latching of the toilet closure so as to prevent unintentional flushing of the toilet; to provide an improved aircraft toilet having means for simultaneously opening the lower end of the toilet and directing air under pressure thereinto for flushing the same; to provide an improved aircraft toilet wherein the pressure of the air exterior of the aircraft is utilized to flush the toilet and assists in closing the discharge opening of said toilet after flushing thereof; to provide an improved toilet having novel latch means associated with an actuating mechanism and operable by the toilet closure for preventing accidental actuation of the mechanism; an to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in a toilet of thecharacter described and for the purposes set forth. 1

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, we have provided improved details of structure, the'preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a toilet, embodying the features of the present invention, mounted in an aircraft.

Fig. 2 is a transverse, vertical, sectional view, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and showing the air scoop in its open position.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the latch means for the actuating mechanism in its latched position.

Fig. 4 is a detail View of the release means for actuating the latch means.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the mechanism in its latched position.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

In Fig. 1, the numeral l designates generally the fuselage or exterior surface of an aircraft such as an airplane, having a toilet 2 mounted therein in a substantially upright position. The toilet .2 includes a cylindrical body or housing 3 having a tubular receptacle or container 4 disposed concentrically therein. A substantially cylindrical chute 5 connects the lower end of the container 4 with a suitable discharge opening 6 formed in the fuselage I. For closing the opening 6, an outer closure plate or door I is pivotally connected to the fuselage by a suitable hinge 8 so as to be movable in are about the hinge relative to said opening. The latter is preferably surrounded by a packing ring 9, of rubber or other suitable material, which is adapted tobe engaged by the outer door to seal the opening. An inner closure plate or door [0 is hinged or pivotally supported in the upper portion of the chute 5 as shown at the numeral l I so as to close the lower end of the container and form a bottom therefor. The outer and inner doors 1 and it] are arranged to be swung open and closed simultaneously relative to the chute and container, respectively, and are preferably connected by an elongate rod or link I 2 which has its ends pivotally attachedto said doors.

The upper end of the body 3 is preferably flared outwardly so as to be of enlarged diameter in the usual manner. A circular closure or cover plate I3 is hingedly secured to the rear upper end portion of the body as shown at I4 so as to overlie said upper end and be movable'relative thereto. For fastening the plate IS in overlying, closed position, a spring-pressed'angular latch I5 is pivotally connected to the forward portion of said plate diametrically opposite the hinge connection I4 and. includes an outwardly-pun jecting, horizontal handle I6 having an integral hook portion l1 depending therefrom at substantially a right angle. An angular keeper l8, of suitable construction, is secured to the forward upper end of the body for receiving the bill of the hook portion I! which is adapted to be swung into and out of engagement with the keeper by pivotal movement of the handle relative to the cover plate. The lower extremity of the hook portion depends below the bill and is preferably enlarged as shown by the numeral [9.

For swinging the outer and inner doors 1 and I!) open and closed relative to the chute 5 and container l, an actuating mechanism 20 is disposed rearwardly of the upper portion of the body 3 and includes a vertical lever 2| having a bell crank 22 made integral with or otherwise secured to its lower end. As is clearly shown in Fig. 5, the lever 2| and bell crank 22 are journaled upon a suitable bolt 23 which extends horizontally through a flat vertical plate 24 projecting rearwardly from the body.

An elongate link or rod 25 is pivotally connected to the outer end of the forward arm 26 of the bell crank (Fig. 1) and has its lower end pivotally attached to a short link or arm 21 carried by and movable with the inner door i0, whereby said door and the pivotally connected outer door I are swung open and closed by rearward and forward pivotal movement respectively of the lever 2| in a vertical are about its supporting bolt 23. For urging the lever forwardly and.

maintaining the inner and outer doors closed, a coiled or helical spring 28 is connected between the forward arm 26 of the bell crank and one of the stringers or ribs 29 of the fuselage I.

An arcuate guide bracket 39 is fastened to one flat surface of the plate 24 at its upper end for confining and limiting the movement of the lever. In order to positively maintain or look the lever in its forward position and prevent actuation of the mechanism 20, a cylindrical lock pin 31 is slidably mounted in lateral guide collars 32 which are secured to the upper portion of said lever in spaced relation. The lock pin 3i extends parallel tothe lever and a-notch or recess 33 is formed in the upper surface of the bracket 39 for receiving said-pin, whereby the pin must be disengaged from the recess to permit rearward movement of said lever.

A's-shown in Fig. 5, an offset handle 34 is formed at the upper extremity of the lever above the guide collars 32 by bending said lever laterally and then upwardly at substantially right angles. For disengaging the lock pin 3! from the recess 33, an angular rod or arm 35' is pivotally supported at the lateral portion of the lever by a suitable pivot pin 36 and has its lower end portion extending through an opening or slot 31 formed in said lever between the guide collars. A diametric slot 38 is'provided in the intermediate' portion of the lock pin 3| for receiving the outer lower extremity of the arm 35, whereby pivoting of said arm slides said lock pin upwardly and downwardly relative to the guide bracket and its recess 33. Thelock pin is urged into engagement with the recess and the upper surface of the-guide bracket by a suitable fiat or leaf spring 39 which is riveted or otherwise secured to the handle34 and' bears against the upper end portion'ofthe arm 35.

The toilet 3 is adapted to be flushed by air under pressure and preferably by a blast of air from the exterior of'the aircraft. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, an opening or port 40 is formed in the fuselage I to the right of the opening for receiving aninwardly-extending hood or transition 4|; A flexible tube or hose 42, of rubber or other'suitable material, is connected to the inner reduced end of the hood 4| so as to communicate with the external atmosphere through the opening 40. For establishing communication with the interior of the body 3 and container 4, the inner end of the tube 42 connects with an elbow*43 mounted in and extending through the cover plate l3. Due to the flexibility of the tube, freedom of movement of the cover plate is permitted.

An air scoop 44', including a flat bottom plate or door 45 and a pair of lateral wings or flanges 46, is pivotally fastened'to the fuselage by a suitable-hinge 41 for closing the opening 49. The hingev 48"is'preferably disposed at substantially a I by means of a suitable bracket 63 (Fig. 4).

right angle to the hinge 8 of the outer door 1, whereby the air scoop 44 may be swung in a horizontal are at approximately a right angle to the plane of movement of said door. When open, the air scoop extends forwardly in the direction of movement of the aircraft so as to be exposed to and catch a portion of the air stream. A packing ring or strip 48, of rubber or other suitable material, surrounds the opening 40 for sealing off therearound upon closing of the air scoop.

For opening and closing the air scoop, an elongate link or rod 49 connects the bottom plate 45 of said scoop to the right-hand or rear arm of the bell crank 22 and has its ends pivotally attached thereto. The hood 4! has a suitable opening 50 formed therein for accommodating the rod 49 and the opening is sealed by a flexible boot 5i, of rubber or other suitable material, which surrounds said rod (Fig. 2). Since the air scoop is fastened to the bell crank, said scoop is swung open and closed simultaneously with the outer and inner doors I and 10 upon actuation of the lever 21, is. urged to its closed position by the spring 28', and is held closed by the lock pin 3| engaging within the recess 33 of the guide bracket 30.

In order to prevent accidental actuation of the mechanism 20 and unintentional opening of the outer and inner doors and the air scoop, a retractable latch pin 52 projects through an opening 53 in the plate 24 into the path of rearward movement of the lever as shown in Figs. 1 and, 3. The latch pin 52 is slidably mounted within a small housing 54 which is suitably secured to the back surface of the plate 24 opposite the lever and guide bracket. A coiled or helical spring 55 is confined within the housin 54 for constantly urging the latch pin outwardly into latching position, The inner end of the latch pin is provided with an enlarged head or annular flange 56 and is adapted to be engaged by the forked arm 51 of a bell crank 58' which is pivotally supported within the housing at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of said pin. For pivoting the bell crank 58, so as to retract the latch out of the path of the lever, a small cable or wire 59 is connected to the other arm of said bell crank and extends through an opening 60 formed in one side wall of the housing.

A flexible tube 6| concentrically surrounds the wire 59 so as to house and permit longitudinal movement of the same. The tube BI is secured within the opening 60 and extends forwardly around the body 3, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to a second small housing 62 which is mounted upon said body below the keeper H! An opening 64 is formed in the bracket 63 for receiving the forward end of the tube and said bracket and the housing 62 are slotted as shown at 55 for accommodating the wire 59. Pivotally disposed within the housing is a bell crank 66 which has one of its arms projecting rearwardly through the slot 65 and connected to the wire, whereby pivoting of the bell crank pivots the bell crank 58 to retract the latch pin 52 and permit actuation of the lever 2|.

The top, bottom and outer side walls of the housing are slotted vertically as shown at 61 for receiving the enlarged lower extremity l9 of the latch l5 upon engagement of its hook I! with the keeper l8 (Fig. 1). Since the lateral arm of the bell crank 66 bisects the plane of the vertical slot 61, said arm is disposed in the path of the latchextremity and is engaged by the same to pivot said bell crank inwardly in a clockwise direction (Fig. l) for actuating the bell crank 58.

Operation The operation of a toilet constructed as described herein is as follows:

When in use, the various elements of the toilet 2 are in the positions shown in full lines in Fig. 1 with the exception of the cover plate 113 which is swung upwardly and rearwarclly.

In order to flush the toilet, the cover plate is swung downwardly and forwardly by means of the handle it of the latch I5 and the bill of the hook H is engaged with the keeper 18 to fasten or latch said cover plate in its closed position. Although not illustrated, it is preferable to insert a bag or other disposable receptacle, of oil-treated paper or other material, into the container 4 so as to be supported by the inner door In prior to use of the toilet. Y

Simultaneously with the latching of the cover plate, the latch extremity l9 enters the slot 61 of the housing 62 so as to bear against the lateral arm of the bell crank 66 and pivot the same inwardly in a clockwise direction (Fig. 4). As a result, the wire 59 is moved longitudinally within its flexible tube 6! to pivot the bell crank 58 outwardly in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 3), Due to the engagement of the forked arm 5i of the bell crank beneath the head 56 of the latch pin 52, said latch pin is retracted out of the path of the lever to permit operation of the actuating mechanism 2%.

By pivoting the angular arm in a clockwise direction toward the lever handle 3 (Fig. 5) the lower portion of said arm is swung upwardly to disengage the lock pin 3! from the recess 33 of the guide bracket as. The mechanism 20 may then be actuated to swing the lever 2i rearwardly in a clockwise direction (Fig. 1) to open the outer and inner doors I and it and the air scoop 44, as shown in dotted lines, due to the provision of the bell crank rods and 49, arm 2? and link l2.

Since the air scoop is directed forwardly in the direction of movement of the aircraft, said air scoop is exposed to the air stream so as to catch and direct a portion of the same through the hood ll, tube 42 and elbow 43 into the upper ends of the body 3 and container l. This blast of air passes downwardly through the body and container, past the inner door iii, through the chute 5 and the discharge opening 5 so as to flush the contents thereof or discharge the disposable bag (not shown) supported within said container.

Upon releasing the lever handle 34, the tension of the helical spring 28 which is connected to the bell crank arm 26 (Fig. 1) and the pressure of the air exerted against the outer door 1 auto matically returns the actuating mechanism and the elements connected therewith to their full line positions. The latch pin 52 is held retracted by the engagement of the latch extremity l9 (Fig. 1) with bell crank 56 (Fig. 4) to permit reverse or forward movement of the lever 2| in a'counterclockwise direction. Due to the provision of the leaf spring 35, the angular arm 35 is urged in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 5) to maintain the lock pin 3! in frictional contact with the guide bracket till during the reverse or forward movement of the lever. Upon the completion of such movement, the lock pin engages within the recess 33 until disengaged by clockwise pivoting of the angular arm.

Although the actuating mechanism 20 may be operated whenever the cover plate It is latched in its closed position, the latch extremity i9 is disengaged from the bell crank 55 upon the latch hook I! being released from its keeper it and opening movement of said cover plate. This disengagement pivots the bell crank Eii in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 4) and the bell crank 58 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 3) by means of the wire 59, whereby the compression of the helical spring 55 projects the lock pin 52 outwardly into the path of the lever to prevent operation of the actuating mechanism when the cover plate is unlatched.

While we have shown but one embodiment of our invention, it is susceptible to modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. We do not wish, therefore, to be limited by the disclosures set forth, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America fo governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

We claim:

1. An aircraft toilet including, an upright receptacle having an open top and bottom, a pivoted closure overlying the top of the receptacle, means for latching the closure in its closed position, a pivoted closure underlying the bottom of said receptacle, an actuating leve having connection with the bottom closure for swinging the same open and closed relative to said receptacle bottom, retractable means for locking the lever in its closed position against movement, means having connection with the retractable means and operable upon latching of said top closure in its closed position for actuating said retractable means to permit movement of said lever, an air blast tube communicating with the top of the receptacle, and means operable by said lever for directing air under pressure into said tube upon latching of the top closure and opening of the bottom closure.

2. An aircraft toilet including, a cylindricalbody having open upper and lower ends, a closure for the upper end of the body, latch means for fastening the closure in a closed position, an outer door mounted in the fuselage of the aircraft for closing the lower end of the body, a container disposed Within said body, an inner door closing the lower end of the container, an actuating lever having connection with the inner and outer doors for opening and closing the same relative to the lower ends of said container and body, a retractable lock pin for preventing actuation of the lever when said doors are closed, release means operable by the latch means upon latching of said closure in a closed position and having connection with the lock pin for retracting the same to permit actuation of said lever and opening of the inner and outer doors, an air blast tube communicating with the upper end of the body, and an air scoop mounted in said aircraft fuselage and communicating with the tube, the air scoop having connection with the lever so as to be opened by the aforesaid actuation of said lever to admit and direct a blast of air into said tube,

3. In a toilet having a receptacle with an open top, and bottom and closures therefor, an operating mechanism including actuating means for opening and closing the bottom closure, locking means for preventing operation of the actuating means when said bottom closure is closed and the top closure opened, means operable by the closing of the top closure for releasing the looking means to permit operation of said actuating means and opening of the bottom closure, and means for directing air under pressure to the upper end of the receptacle upon such operation of the actuating lever to flush the toilet.

WILLIAM P. MILLER. MICHAEL A. DAVALLE. VIRGIL E. DICKENS,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,292,146 Taylor Jan. 21, 1919 1,421,362 Allan July 4, 1922 1,818,586 Schumacher Aug. 11, 1931 1,996,325 Cox Apr. 2, 1935 

